Why would they want out? DC is their biggest money maker for boys action figures. They currently have the sub and 5 lines out at retail with the dark knight line coming on the tail end of Batman Legacy.

I just feel like right now they want out of the DC game. At least at retail.

They literally just re-upped the DC license for God knows how much. They need to make some money off of such an acquisition, and they make most of their money at retail. The money they make from Matty is peanuts. Scott said it in the press conference - collectors make up a tiny percentage of sales, so they are obviously not making significant cash from MattyCollector.

It's pretty clear that this new direction was a mandate from DC. Again, it's alluded to in Scott's interview at Toy Fair. All-Stars wave one was intended as DCUC21 and DCUC22, but they got some "direction" from their licensor partners.

DC wants what they want, and Mattel is following orders. I don't think this strategy is their doing.

Joel beat me, but my points still stand. They paid a ton of money for the license, so there's no conceivable way that the world's biggest toy company is trying to limit product to online-only. They'll be selling those things forever to make any money.

Last edited by MoMoney on Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

I just feel like right now they want out of the DC game. At least at retail.

They literally just re-upped the DC license for God knows how much. They need to make some money off of such an acquisition, and they make most of their money at retail. The money they make from Matty is peanuts. Scott said it in the press conference - collectors make up a tiny percentage of sales, so they are obviously not making significant cash from MattyCollector.

It's pretty clear that this new direction was a mandate from DC. Again, it's alluded to in Scott's interview at Toy Fair. All-Stars wave one was intended as DCUC21 and DCUC22, but they got some "direction" from their licensor partners.

DC wants what they want, and Mattel is following orders. I don't think this strategy is their doing.

It's definitely not. I thought that was clear at SDCC when everything seemed so confusing. Mattel may be a gigantic corporation but in this instance, their boss is DC and they're calling the shots.

I believe it! Long ago when the new Doctor who series started, AirFix, a modeling company made two great Doctor Who sets. They came with 5" action figures, dioramas, paints the whole deal... except they stopped. They claimed the BBC wouldn't let them do their own thing and would demand that the TARDIS set have electronics and flashing lights... and the Dalek set needed to have voice chips and flashing lights... there was so much interference from the BBC that AirFix simply dropped the license and refuse to take on anything related to the BBC again.

Same with the comics. It seems like the New 52 comics were ramped up in a hurry. Clearly if DC Entertainment sends down an edict, that's it. Mattel is in between what DC wants and what retailers want, so I won't get mad at them if they can't get Shining Knight in the toy aisles. 20 waves is pretty admirable.

I think their new focus on popular names is sound business right now. I like these waves, for the most part. I just hope they can keep going and get some new and alternate versions of Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Teen Titans, Green Lantern stuff, Popular villains, etc. because I think those would sell almost as well as Batman and Superman.

Besides the DCn52 costumes, they could still do Wally West, Hookhand Aquaman, 90's Kyle Rayner, Parralax Hal, Wonder Woman in armor...Lots of possibilities.

I wonder, when these All Stars debut do the DC Universe line get clearanced out? I'd like to get some figures on sale. I still haven't seen Waves 18 and 20.

Besides the DCn52 costumes, they could still do Wally West, Hookhand Aquaman, 90's Kyle Rayner, Parralax Hal, Wonder Woman in armor...Lots of possibilities.

I think we all thought this was the case, but...

During Scott's Toy Fair interview, someone asked him specifically about Wally and '90s Aquaman, and he said that at this point, they'd likely end up in the sub. So it sounds like DCUA is going to be mostly re-releases (like Steel, Brainiac, etc.) combined with characters in their New 52 looks.

Maybe Red Robin is being relegated to the sub, since he was conspicuously absent at the show. Or, at the very least, his status is being debated.

The problem with Wally, as a specific example, is that DC is pretty much working with the mindset that the character doesn't currently exist in the DCU.

Wally just DOESN'T EXIST right now according to Didio.

They don't know what to do with him in the new, younger DCnU and rather than try to figure it out, they are just "erasing" him. With that mindset, and their more involved "directing" of the retail DC line, it makes perfect sense to me that if we were to ever be allowed to have him, at this point, it will be in the sub.

Until DC puts Wally back in the comics, he won't end up at mass-market outlets relying on clear recognition driven demand.

Hook-handed Aquaman is probably a very similar case. At this point, Arthur is most recognizable in his classic style (albeit with a few tweaks and added baubles and whatnot). To try and put out a figure of an amputated Aquaman would only confuse that fickle mom-and-kids market that they are trying so hard to reach in mass market avenues.

The Red Robin figure WILL BE AT RETAIL in wave 2. Just because it wasn't shown off doesn't mean it is moving anywhere. It is a figure called Robin, and even though it is not a classic or widely recognizable costume, it is still a Bat-Family character, and therefore, will be slotted for retail release like all other Bat- and Supes- family characters.

We stand a better chance of getting a Perry White at retail, under the new direction, than we do of getting 90's Kyle at retail, I would bet.

The problem with Wally, as a specific example, is that DC is pretty much working with the mindset that the character doesn't currently exist in the DCU.

Wally just DOESN'T EXIST right now according to Didio.

They don't know what to do with him in the new, younger DCnU and rather than try to figure it out, they are just "erasing" him. With that mindset, and their more involved "directing" of the retail DC line, it makes perfect sense to me that if we were to ever be allowed to have him, at this point, it will be in the sub.

Until DC puts Wally back in the comics, he won't end up at mass-market outlets relying on clear recognition driven demand.

Hook-handed Aquaman is probably a very similar case. At this point, Arthur is most recognizable in his classic style (albeit with a few tweaks and added baubles and whatnot). To try and put out a figure of an amputated Aquaman would only confuse that fickle mom-and-kids market that they are trying so hard to reach in mass market avenues.

The Red Robin figure WILL BE AT RETAIL in wave 2. Just because it wasn't shown off doesn't mean it is moving anywhere. It is a figure called Robin, and even though it is not a classic or widely recognizable costume, it is still a Bat-Family character, and therefore, will be slotted for retail release like all other Bat- and Supes- family characters.

We stand a better chance of getting a Perry White at retail, under the new direction, than we do of getting 90's Kyle at retail, I would bet.

Yes, according to the epilogue of Flashpoint, Barry does indeed remember the two universes and at some point, Batman will also know as he told him the story as he showed him the letter from his father...

Well, Barry remembers the Flashpoint timeline, but not the pre-DCnU timeline with Wally as Flash. That older timeline was merged with the current DCnU version, so there's nothing for Barry to remember...

Well, Barry remembers the Flashpoint timeline, but not the pre-DCnU timeline with Wally as Flash. That older timeline was merged with the current DCnU version, so there's nothing for Barry to remember...

Ah but Pandora showed Barry images of all three realities when explaining how Post-Crisis wasn't the true universe... whose to say he didn't see Kid Flash in there somewhere? Maybe he doesn't know him by name but knows of his once existence?